Summary: On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the El Chico City Hall, the Willow Park Parks Board is holding a Town Hall for Citizens to voice their opinions on the City's new Conceptual Plan for the Kings Gate Park AND on the City's consideration TO MOVE MEMORIAL PARK from Ranch House Road to the parking lot improvements in front of the El Chico City Hall.
Latest Update: posted 25 October 2024
Reprinted from Save the date: 29 October, 6A. The Willow Park Parks Dept is holding a Town
Hall for Citizen feedback on two City parks., Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 14 October 2024
• The Community News article [5] reprinted with permission.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace." On 29 October, 6:30P, the WP Parks Dept is holding a Town Hall for Citizen feedback on two City parks.
PS Remember to bring bags of food for the annual Parker County Mayor's Food Drive .
On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 6:30 p.m [5], in the El Chico City Hall, the Willow Park Parks Board is holding a Town Hall [1] for Citizens to voice their opinions on the City's new Concept Plan for the Kings Gate Park [2] and on the City's consideration to move the Memorial Park from Ranch House Road to the parking lot improvements in front of the El Chico City Hall. [3]
One of two, planned Town Halls [1] about City Parks, this October Town Hall will not only give Citizens a chance to voice concerns and ask questions, but also to contribute to the FlashVote Survey [4] the City has planned to gather the opinions and suggestions of Citizens who do not attend the Town Hall.
Willow Park Sources and Resources
[1] Save the date: 29 October, 6A. The Willow Park Parks Dept is holding a Town Hall for Citizen feedback on two City parks., Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 14 October 2024 Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 14 October 2024
[1] Two town halls and a survey will help plan the future of Willow Park's Kings Gate Park. Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 27 August 2024
The City is planning two town hall meetings and a survey to give Willow Park Citizens the opportunities to direct the improvements planned for Kings Gate Park. The first town hall will be this Fall 2024 and will gather considerations to be included in the survey. The survey will take three to four months. The second town hall is planned for the first part of 2025.
[1] 08 October 2024 Council Meeting, Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 04 October 2024
Agenda Items Council Comments (after Executive Session, Council Lea Young announced Willow Park Parks Board is including in the regular board meeting, a Town Hall for Citizen feedback on two City parks concerning the City's new Concept Plan for the Kings Gate Park and the City's consideration to move the Memorial Park from Ranch House Road to the parking lot improvements in front of the El Chico City Hall.
[2] Concept Plan for a "new" Kings Gate Park, Part 1, Willow Park Civics, posted 06 August 2024
The Willow Park Parks Board has requisitioned an exciting, strategic pipe-dream of a Concept Plan for Kings Gate Park. This Concept Plan includes over twenty "features."
[2] Including Kings Gate Park in the City's Parks Master Plan, Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 21 May 2024
(Yes, bathrooms for Kings Gate Park were mentioned.) Along with the Trails Master Plan Addendum, Kings Gate Park will now be programmed into the City of Willow Park's Parks Master Plan. "Before improvements are chosen, city officials decided it best to formally program the park, rather than choose random projects and placement."
[3] Update: WP's Memorial Park is moving... and the City wants direction from Citizens. Willow Park Civics Blog, 01 October, 2024
Council announced their intentions to incorporate the Memorial Park plans into the town halls and survey for the Kings Gate Park Conceptual Plan; the City is looking for input and guidance from Willow Park Citizens on their plans to move the Willow Park's Pfc. Paul Balint Jr. Memorial Park to the El Chico City Hall parking lot and green space.
[3] Willow Park's Memorial Park is moving. Willow Park Civics Blog, Posted 18 September, 2024
The City of Willow Park is planning to move the "Willow Park Memorial Park" from it's current Ranch House Road location to the new "beautified" parking lot in front of the new El Chico City Hall. Currently, there is no indication the new City Hall Memorial/Veterans Park will also be dedicated to Private Paul Balint Jr. or will also include any of the current dedications and memorials.
[3] 13 August 2024 Council Meeting, 09 August 2024, Agenda Items 2 and 3
• 2. Discussion/Action: approval for Westwood Professional Services to proceed with the bid process and start the City Hall parking lot project.
• 3. Discussion/Action: Kings Gate Park Concept Plans and Memorial Park consideration for relocation. [Youtube Video of Countil Meeting; including Memorial Parks in Kings Gate Park town halls and survey at time 13.15.]
During initial City Hall parking lot discussions with Westwood, adding parkland to the City Hall site was discussed and Staff agreed that the future of the Memorial Park at 516 Ranch House Rd. needed to be decided. While brainstorming, it was suggested that the park be moved to the site of City Hall. Albeit a separate project, the conceptual plan for the City Hall parking lot shows a space in the southwest corner for “Future Development – Memorial Park”. While requesting the cost estimate for Kings Gate Park, Staff also asked Ms. Witmeyer to provide an estimate for the addition of [Veterans Park] to the City Hall property. A conceptual design has not yet been requested, but a cost estimate for basic elements expected for such a project is $610,000 with a 30% contingency.
[4] FlashVote: Another tool for communicating with the City of Willow Park., Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 09 October 2024
The City of Willow Park Council has approved a one-year, six-survey contract with FlashVote, which allows City leadership to make "data-driven decisions based on scientifically sound public sampling" and to establish a consistent survey process for all Citizen surveys. Details in linked blog.
[5] Town Hall - Parks, City of Willow Park Website, 15 October 2024
Town Hall - Parks
POSTED ON: OCTOBER 15, 2024 - 9:52AM
October 29, 2024 6:30 pm Willow Park City Hall"
Please join members of the city Parks Board and city staff for an interactive discussion on the future of our City's parks system. Concept plans will be presented and community participation and feedback is welcomed!
Date: October 29, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: City Hall Council Chambers (120 El Chico Trail Ste A, Willow Park, TX, 76087)
[5] Town hall set for Oct. 29, Citizens can voice ideas, give feedback, [FlashVote] The Community News, 22 October 2024, online / [in .pdf]
The City of Willow Park is hosting a town hall at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, immediately following the parks board meeting at 6 p.m.
The town hall will feature a discussion on concept planning for the city parks and invite community feedback on future ideas for the parks system. The public is encouraged to attend and participate.
“We have been given a fantastic ‘wish list’ from the planners who work with us on parks, but before we make any moves forward, it’s important to both council and staff that we seek input from our stakeholders,” said Willow Park Communications and Marketing Director Rose Hoffman.
“Realistically, we are going have to make some choices about what’s most important on the wish list, and we don’t want to make that decision in a silo.”
Possible plans for Kings Gate Park include multi-purpose courts, a dog park, trail expansion, and/or pavilions. The city hopes to identify priorities through the town hall and public surveys.
The City of Willow Park is working with FlashVote to engage the community and gather valuable input from residents to inform their decisions.
The city encourages residents to sign up at www.flashvote.com/willowparktx or call 775-235-2240 to participate by phone or text only. Signing up takes less than one minute and your input is always kept anonymous.
Personal or demographic information collected by FlashVote is never shared with the city or anyone else.
When residents sign up, they can determine how surveys are received – whether by email, text or phone call. They will receive a notification whenever there is a new survey, and they will have 48 hours to participate before voting closes.
Once a survey is closed, everyone who participated will automatically receive a summary of the overall results and be able to see how their responses compare to the group.
“This process allows us to gain a scientific sampling of public sentiment by surveying the many, not just the noisy,” Hoffman said. “We want to try to gain as full an understanding as possible of what our community really wants and needs from their city.”
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